Oh how do i wish this computer had access to my camera, have fabulous photos,but we are lucky here in the far corners of Handeni Tanzania to finally have the only INternet Cafe in town working after three days of trudging heavily up here, and i mean up, in sweltering heat, dripping humidity...the kind you run from in Canada to the pleasure of air conditioned cars, houses, but here there is none.... no relief but to sit quietly on occasion and let the inside temperature of your body sinkdown...the town is bigger than the villages we thundered through on the most rickity of buses yet Sunday from Dar es Salaam..packed with people on the seats, in the aisles, the only saving grace is the beauty of them with colourful fabric textiles you dream of, each stop drawing forth boys carrying high to reach open bus windows oranges, hard boiled eggs, pastries of some sort,all covered in flies...hot dry gutted pitted paths and trackways we sludged along, cow paths - leaving the tarmac far behind - six hours of it...got off at the wrong stop in Handeni, taxied back in the back of a pick up with my three huge dusty bags to Dignas house..nice, open, dark...a severe water shortage here, a ditch in the valley below with water pouring out in bits to service the town, boys carrying six 2 gallon yellow plastic containers strapped onto bikes, racing down for the fill, and back up, over high hill and down into gullies...pushing their load by hand, it is gruelling and i thank my stars i am only carrying my back pack and purse...someone brings water to our house...i have my own room with a bathroom attached. one pail is for the toilet after using....the other warm in the morning but gorgeously cool when i reach home around 5..set into the base of a shower, crouch naked and begin the most refreshing moment of the day....the cleanse,it is divine and never again will i take our shower/bath system with ample water for granted, ever. Electricity too, shortage, we move about by candlelight, from about 6: 30 on....lucky if we get lights for half hour a night, mostly never..
Meals are prepared by their maid Ashiona....there is a small round stove fuelled by charcoal sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor,dishes are prepared on the floor....taking hours to get ready, dinner is about nine...Digna who speaks some English is away for the week, her poor husband is left with me, a shy man with little English..plus two four year old boys who are my constant companions, yoga, singing and drawing...alot of my evening is spent in my room under the mosquito netting reading The White Masai with a little flashlight.....I recommend this book immensely..i am fascinated by the Masai people, they are tall, slim, gorgeous wrapped in cloth carrying a sort of sword. Bedecked in beads, the women stunning as well...you see them in and around town, their village is about twenty kil away....i will be taken to them next week or so, to show them art things,to spend a day...this is a real treat as white people and even non Masai don't get to do this often....
Have been taken to the Handeni hospital twice now....visiting people positve with Aids..seeing conditions....hundreds waiting on benches, with babies, old people, ,Masai....
The Aids epidemic is becoming worse here, they have had access to free ARV treatment since july and since then people see there is a 'cure', so they go back to their old ways without condoms..education is badly needed here..there is a huge population of Muslem people with multiple wives...always this problem, and with the small houses (mistresses) it is difficult to stop the pandemic...education is needed, money is needed...just came back from the Aids HIV oranization to talk with their 27 members...about Aids in our country....in Zimbabwe...the grandmothers we read about, the four year old girl who stands as high as my knee,scrawny, frail limbs, huge black eyes, pleading,whimpering for food, she is hungry i am told...the grandmother warm, open loving, what can we do? i will get their bank information...maybe someone out there can help, any amount will go a long way, and i am adamant that the connections i am making will go directly to the people who need it...things are very tough here, as they seem to be all over Africa with people who are sick, poor...what can you do with a widow who is positive who has four children and no means of support....
Met with a classroom of 12 to 15 year olds who asked all about Canada..snow...and painting and drawing....my workshop will be next week, provided we can get paint,otherwise i am giving small classes every day to groups of 4-6...pastel, sharpies, water...showing upside downdrawings....contour..
Tomorrow we are taking a bus outside of Handeni to a village of an artist who does folk art things...i can 't wait...
Missing you all...especially at night...for an extravert like me to be on my own for four weeks every night for hours in my room, thankfully with great books..it is a challenge...
Hugs to you all....in CAnada,in Zimbabwe,missing that wonderful land too...xl